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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. snap — to click
  3. prune — to trim
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — a safe
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fine — all right
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. fine — high quality
  21. wake — a trail
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. snap — to snap out of it

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com